Many Ways
by uppiguppi
Summary: [SoraRiku, SoraKairi. Angst. Oneshot] Can you love more than one person at a time? The big question. Riku is jealous. But of course Sora makes him feel special... NEW VERSION COMPLETE!


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts. But you have to admit, there are many clues to soriku in the games...

**Warning:** Implied love. Boy/boy. Sora/Kairi, Riku/Sora.

**AN: EDIT **_youkai chick supreme_ helped me with improving this... She's very right, it ended abruptly, so I'm rewriting the ending and here ya go! It was originally meant to end sad or something along those lines, so now it's not far from the first idea I had... In fact, it's pretty much just as I first thought... DX

I -_really- _should be working on other things... But this won't leave my head... DX

I just realized, this is a lot "heavier" than I usually write... I mean, I like writing angst-y stuff, but I'm more used to writing humor and such... 'Tis hard though, writing funnies... :D Will try my best though in getting one done! Lol, I have it here... waiting, just for you.. XD

** /EDIT **

Oh, p.s. Thank you for all the reviews for my last story! Of course they make me happy, just see what you made me do! I wrote another oneshot! DX ...yeah, you'd better be happy you boost my creativity and help me spread yaoi in the world... Seriously though, I hope you're not displeased that I just procrastinated a little...

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Sunset.

That was when the last part of the teenagers energy got a kick.

Running around in the water and on the beach, long shadows from the red horizon.

Always the three of them, Kairi, Sora and Riku.

Now when they had been reunited and went back home to their island, they had all the time in the world to catch up. They were loud and wild, trying to make the most of the time before school would start again. They were glad to have each other again.

Sora was the happiest of them all. He was relieved to have his two best friends back, and he was glad that they were okay. And of course he felt a little proud for being the one to bring them back... With help from Donald and Goofy, of course... And now _they_ were gone instead...

_'At least I know they're safe...'_ Sora thought and smiled contently.

Riku had been very quiet the first few days when they got back. He felt bad for turning on Sora. He felt bad for dragging him into that big mess. Sora had tried to cheer him up, tried to make them play like they did many years ago...

Riku finally gave up. He would do anything for Sora. And making him happy was something Riku would gladly do. He wanted to be just like Sora, just as happy and able to forget the past... Riku couldn't forget the past, it haunted him. But Sora did a good job of distracting him.

Sora, on his part, wanted to be just like Riku... Just as strong and calm as his friend. Just as tall and big. Sora had grown a little bit over the years (yeah, he'd even grown a LOT), but Riku had become HUGE. Towering over Sora like a... tower...

Kairi had gotten taller also. Sora had noticed. He was cooing and prodding her, telling her how much older she looked and how weird it was that they had all missed most of the time growing up together... Riku had nodded and watched Sora bounce around the redhead. Kairi had laughed and pushed Sora away, telling him how much older he looked also. She glanced at Riku. He didn't need to hear he'd gotten older, it was noticeable.

His jaw-line was more defined than it was before and his silver hair fell long down his neck. And his eyes held wisdom and experience. Memories of sadness and pain. Sora could see that. He wanted to cheer up his friend.

Playfully, he threw one of their old wooden swords to his friend. Riku caught it, mildly surprised. Sora smirked widely and looked back at Kairi. She giggled and sat down to watch them. Riku looked back at Sora and held an equally competitive grin. Though his eyes showed concern and fondness. Could he risk hurting Sora again?

"Come on Riku!" cried the other boy. "I can beat you now! I'm much stronger than you!"

Riku's smirk widened and he shook his head at the brunets silliness.

"Never in a million years Sora!"

Sora laughed and charged. Riku easily blocked the attack. Kairi was watching happily by the side.

Sora's head snapped back to the redheads. He grinned happily back at her and continued his attack with more ferociousness. He was stronger than Riku!

Riku was mildly surprised at the brunet's speed and accuracy. Sora had gotten better over the years. But he could block the attacks just as easily.

This time, Riku attacked. He did it tentatively, not daring to hurt Sora. Sora didn't seem to notice that Riku was holding back. For him. Sora had his eyes only on Kairi. He looked back at Riku with the same distant smile. His gaze was like a yo-yo, going back and forth from Riku and the fight, to Kairi in the sand. And he always had the same smile.

Then it hit Riku. Sora was trying to impress Kairi!

Jealousy raged up in him. Since when was he not important enough to pay attention to? He was not going to lose to Sora, not so easily... Not for _that_ reason. Wasn't it Sora who'd started _crying_ when he'd realized it was Riku standing in front of him? Wasn't Riku someone special?

He suppressed a loud snort and swiped the sword at Sora's head when he was looking at the girl. It hit his head hard with a '_thump'_.

Sora looked miffed. He held a hurt look in his face. An angry look, but hurt nonetheless. Riku cringed a little mentally for hurting Sora, just what he'd promised himself never to do again.

The bangs of his silver hair shadowed his eyes and he said darkly,

"Pay attention..."

At first Sora looked surprised and afraid. Who knew Riku could be so scary and... _intense_? Then he caught on, and turned his head fully to the fight. It was hard for him not to glance back at Kairi, who was now in a state of confusion. But every time Sora's gaze wandered back to their other friend, Riku struck a blow harder than the last one and forced Sora to take a step backward.

The brunet was wildly surprised at his silver haired friend's almost _angry_ attacks. He tried to fight back, but Riku was too strong. Sure Sora had the agility and flexibility, but he was no match for Riku. Riku overpowered him, and suddenly Sora was lying on his back, sword thrown out of his hand and Riku pointing his sword at the boy's chest. It heaved up and down heavily from exhaustion. Riku breathed hard through his nose. His gaze locked with Sora's. Blue eyes met turquoise. Unable to look away, it seemed like it was kept like that forever. Both the boys could feel something click in place, but neither knew quite what.

Riku felt like he was showing every part of himself to Sora, all of it at the same time. All mixed up and mashed together. He squirmed in his mind and tried to arrange himself in an order that could regain him some dignity, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He gave up and let his mind be one with his body. He was all parts of himself simultaneously. He was learning of new sides of himself he didn't even know he had. All thanks to Sora.

Kairi broke their moment with a cheer. She was oblivious to their mutual mind twisting.

Riku looked down to the ground and avoided Sora's gaze.

"I win..." he said and turned to Kairi, but didn't look at her.

Sora got up and looked at Riku for a few seconds, completely silent, ignoring Kairi's hugs and words of comfort. His brows knotted together and he bit his lip carefully. Then he looked down at Kairi and his features were smoothed down again into a smile.

_... and yet I don't..._ Riku thought and felt a stabbing in his chest.

Kairi began dragging Sora away, blowing occasional innocent raspberries at Riku, begging Sora to follow her somewhere. Riku wasn't paying attention to them anymore, he fingered with his sword. He was trying to ignore them and their happy talk. He was better off without them... Was this what had caused him to turn to the darkness in the first place? Jealousy of _someone else_ being around Sora? Probably... He could hear his two friends walk away merrily. He closed his eyes and sighed shuddery. He kept listening to the feet walking away from him and waited for them to blend in to the other background noise and disappear. To his surprise one pair of feet stopped suddenly. He could hear someone say something and he shot his eyes open and Sora came sprinting back at Riku. He looked thoughtful and he tightened his lips into one thin straight line. Waiting quickly to catch his breath, Sora studied Riku carefully.

The brunet swallowed and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated.

"Riku..." He licked his lips. "Do-Do you think that... maybe... that you could love two people at the same time?"

Riku gaped back at Sora. Was he implying...?

Sora shrugged and rubbed the side of his arm, embarrassed. Oh yeah. He _was_.

Riku blinked and tried to grasp the situation. Sora saw the befuddled look on his friends face and laughed as he took his arm. Sora dragged him along, heading to Kairi. Kairi waved at the boys and called for them to hurry up. Sora laughed and looked back at Riku. There was something in the look the brunet gave him, something that made him feel special. He wondered if Sora's love to Kairi would last as long as his own love to Sora would...

The brunet looped his arm around both Riku and Kairi's waists. Riku smiled sadly at Sora.

_...can't you see you're hurting me?_

Sora's carefree smile, his devoted eyes, not for Riku, but for everyone. That was who Sora was. He gave all his love to everyone he thought deserved it.

The cheery laughter coming from his two best friends in the entire world didn't effect him like it should've. He should have felt content with what he had, but he kept focusing on what he didn't have instead. What Sora couldn't give him, what he wanted most of all. He knew he was being selfish, he knew that he had no claim on Sora and would never have one. But was it really too much to ask of Sora, if he could love Riku as an individual? Not as a part of a group.

Sora pulled them both closer as they jogged down the beach. The sun's last rays hit them and illuminated their smiles. The whole scene was too perfect. It made Riku realize that there was no one else for him, it always was, always is, and always would be Sora. Somewhere, deep in his heart, he'd always known that. It was obvious. The way he always stood up for Sora, the way he admired the boy. And in his own way, he tried to show he cared. How he always tried to be better than Sora, tried to beat him at his own game. That was Riku's way of showing Sora that he loved him, and would always be there for him. It was a way to tell the brunet to back off from the worlds dangers. Keep him safe from everyone else, hurting him in order to avoid others hurting him. Eventually, maybe the plan backfired? Maybe Riku only managed to hurt himself, pushing Sora away instead of pulling him closer. Sora got the whole idea wrong. Riku didn't need _friends_ in general, he needed _Sora_. He needed... love. From the brunet keyblader.

And Sora gave him that... But with the wrong intentions. Riku frowned and blinked away tears that were forming in his stinging eyes. Why wouldn't Sora flat out _refuse_ Riku? That would be better in so many ways. If Sora refused his love, then Riku wouldn't have to live with this pain of '_he loves me _a little. He wouldn't have to strain himself every moment he saw the boy... Wouldn't have to be in pain.

But would it really get better if Sora loved Riku _a lot_? Could they be truly happy together when the boy obviously liked other people just as much as he liked Riku or Kairi? Could Sora satisfy Riku by being emotionally tied to him? Riku knew the answer to all his questions... If Sora didn't want to, then no. Because it all came down to that. His selfishness, his greed, his pride, all of him wanted to please Sora. If Sora wanted to keep their friendship as it was, Riku wasn't going to change it. Not if it would ruin it, or even worse, stay stable but without true feelings.

He would always do what the brunet wanted.

Because, in the end, Riku's heart will always ache for Sora.

the end...

**AN:** Uhmm... So, basically what I just did was... Erase the last sentence and add another 50 or something... I dunno... Is it better? (for ppl who didn't read the first version: is it good?) I tried to write it like the story I had in mind in the first place, but somehow it turned out creepier... Cliffhanger? I wasn't aiming for that... And no, I don't think I'm going to add another chapter... And wtf? Player!Sora? Haha. That was _not_ what I first had in mind...

I feel kinda bad for only changing the end like that and not more... But I liked the idea that Sora loved them both... My original idea was for Riku to walk around miserable for the rest of his life, but _without _any love from Sora. Now he got _some_... But everything or nothing, y'know? I think Riku's gonna turn to the dark side again... DX And then he'll break down and Sora will have to save him again... Lol.

REVIEW. IT MAKES ME HAPPY. YOU WANT TO MAKE ME HAPPY, DON'T YOU? DX

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

And I'm sorry that I write weirdly! Me no speak-a da language in right please...! DX


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